Tainted
by TheSlayerInTheTardis
Summary: After storming out of the office late one night, all Spike wanted was to go home and get drunk; put his feet up and watch telly. The last thing Spike expected was to be stalked by a vampire… much less the one he found. Can he save her? Please R & R!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: **Out All Night

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**After storming out of the office late one night, all Spike wanted was to go home and get drunk; put his feet up and watch telly. The last thing Spike expected was to be stalked by a vampire… much less the one he found. Can he save her? Set about 2 years after the series finale of Angel, the gang stayed on a Wolfram and Hart. Inplied Spike/Dawn but meh… Oh! And hey! Angst-y**

**Disclaimer: Guess what? I don't own Buffy! *Gasp!* Nor do I own the beautiful cover picture. *Sigh.***

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"Wanker!" Spike scoffed. He'd been arguing with Angle all day. Honestly, Spike was glad to get out of the office; get away from it; have some time just for himself.

It was then that it was then the vampire ran out in front of him. He was aware he was cornering her; he'd been planning this move for the last 300 meters. It was dark but he saw her.

"Come on then!" He roared with a laugh. The demon was yet to show her face but she'd been following him for a while. He had only caught a glimpse; of course, she'd been trying to hide. From what he had seen, she was short, for a vampire, and looked fairly young. He wondered how long she'd been dead.

_Crunch!_

Spike heard footsteps behind him and spun to face the new vampire. She scrambled away, along the back of a building, an old warehouse by the look of it but Spike was faster. He jumped to where she was headed and snarled.

Spike looked her over; she seemed vaguely familiar, and she'd been following him. Spike shook off the thought; his mind was scrambled, and prepared to fight. He could take her. Besides; if he _had_ met her before, it was probably only in a bar or something; back in his pre-Sunnydale days.

She tumbled along the wall and fell to the ground. Spike slipped into his own game face as the vampire attempted to hit him back. Her skills weren't properly homed, nor were she trained; she _was_ young; about 16, brunette. If fact she reminded him of...

The girl ducked Spike in the brow, knocking him back. It's not that she was overly strong but the punch had come abruptly to a distracted Spike. As he gathered himself, the girl began to run along the dimly lit pathway now, still heading towards the corner. Spike cursed himself; he was so annoyed he'd let her hit him like that.

The vampire came to a halt. She had hit the wall by now; tall and brick. Spike knew she couldn't jump it and couldn't help notice how helpless the girl looked. She fretted and began to scamper. Spike drew closer. She tried to doge him but couldn't escape. She weaved left and right.

Spike pounced. The girl sprang as he hit mid-flight. Spike caught her. The pair of vampires wristed to the ground likes a pair of wild animals. Spike snarled. He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a long wooden steak. He pressed it to her chest. The vampire squirmed.

"Alright pet?" He sneered; nothing genuine in his voice. She didn't say anything. In fact, what she did next shocked Spike in a way he never could have predicted. The vampire began to cry. Then it dawned on him.

"Niblet?" He whispered. He couldn't bring himself to say her name. She slipped out of her game face. It was no longer a demon looking up at him. It was little Dawn Summers. Buffy's sister. Of course he had to remember she was dangerous. He made no attempt to lift his body off hers but lowered the steak pressed to her chest

"Spike..." She whispered her voice hoarse. She pressed the back of her hand to his face. He dropped the steak.

"How... did this happen? When..."

"Last year." She said gravely, tears rolling from her eyes again and tumbling down her cheeks like a waterfalls. Spike opened his mouth to speak but she shook her head. "Giles, Willow, Andrew, they all died Spike. Buffy told me to go." She paused. It was clearly too hard to talk about. "She said I had to run away. She told the others I was dead." Spike nodded once in understanding. He rose and offered her his hand; she took it and wrapped herself around him in a tight embrace.

The two stood, in the darkness, simply holding one another.

"I've felt so alone,"

"I know. I'm here now, Niblet." Spike planted a single kiss on her forehead. "You're gonna be okay." He said softly, his voice wavered in uncertainty.

"You're coming home with me. I'll take care of you, pet." Her body shook and he wrapped his arms more tightly around her. He let go only for a second in order to shrug of his duster. He handed it to the girl and she threw it across her shoulders. It was a good fit; a bit long in the arms but aside from that. Little Dawn Summers was still small, but she'd grown an awful lot since Sunny-hell. She smiled gratefully.

"Do you… live close?" Spike shook his head. He began to lead her along the pathway. He kept his body close to hers protectively. With Dawn, he was the kindest he'd ever been. He had a soft spot for her; he loved her like a sister.

"I could take you to see Angel if you like." Spike didn't fancy talking to him but he had to be responsible about Dawn.

"No!" She said almost too quickly. Spike was glad she'd turned his offer down. "I mean… I didn't want anyone to see… " she gestured to her face. She looked even paler in the moonlight; a glowering white. Her face had barely filled out but pike could see she was older in her eyes. Dawn's expression was grave. "Like this." Spike nodded.

"I understand." The sister of the slayer: a vampire. If he hadn't cared for Dawn so much, he would have laughed at the irony.

It took a while to reach the apartment but when they did Dawn was shaking. Spike wasn't sure if it was just because she was cold, scared or hungry.

"It's not much," He started, setting the key in the lock. "But it's better than the last place you saw me in…" Spike let out a nervous laugh as he opened the door. He never had people in so he'd never cared to make sure the place was clean. Empty bottles of booze and cups stained with a rim of blood were scattered across the apartment, both standing and lying flat. Packet and single tiny marshmallows were dotted across the ground, an obvious hazard. (He had to weave Dawn through them.) The wallpaper was peeling and the ivory colour was fading; the place had been that way when he'd bought it and never really bothered to clean it up. There was a separate bedroom though, and bathroom so, for Spike, the place would do.

"No, I like it." Dawn said politely. "Better than where I've been staying." She shared a private joke with herself. A thought occurred to Spike.

"Have you fed today?" He motioned for her to sit on the couch and walked towards the fridge. Dawn shook her head.

He took out a mug filled with cool pigs blood and shut it in the microwave. It whirred for about half a minute before he took it out and handed it to dawn.

"Drink this." She took a long gulp, her face changing in the process. She looked ravenous.

"Is is…?" She returned to drinking.

"It's pig's blood. It's not the best… but it's better than nothing." Dawn continued to down the sticky red liquid; the smell made Spike thirsty so he fetched himself a beer. He knew he had to pace himself with the blood and he'd already had three today.

When she was finished, Dawn placed the cup on the ground and slid into her humanity. She looked up at Spike with big brown eyes and pressed the back of her hand to her mouth. When her wrist came away, coated with blood, she looked utterly disgusted with herself.

Spike slumped into the chair beside her, he tossed his head back. He took a sip from his can. He looked back at dawn. She looked as if she might break at any moment.

"The whole blood drinking thing creeps you out, huh?"

Dawn nodded. "It's not just that… I… I've hurt people Spike… It's like it takes over me…. Becomes me all the while I'm screaming… Screaming to get out."

Spike smiled. "I know how you feel, Dawn."

"No, Spike! You have a soul… I have nothing…"

"You're a good person Dawn," He said himself up more assertively now. His voice had more confidence. "Besides, for over one-hundred and fifty years, I didn't."

Dawn's eyes flickered to the ground, presumably in shame. "I _am_ going to help you, you know." He said, draping his arm across the vampire.

"I know," She said tugging the sleeve of her sweater. It was argyle green and ripped to shreds. Now Spike actually noticed all her clothes were dirty, her jeans were stained and speckled with red and her ankle boots were ripped.

"Do… you er… want to take a shower or somethin'?" Spike offered.

Dawn looked down at herself, frowned and then nodded enthusiastically. Spike stood, made his way through to the bedroom and pulled out his smallest, cleanest looking black shirt, a pair of shorts from god-knows-where and towel.

When he came back into the lounge, Dawn was standing. She took the towel and clothes and bounced through to the bathroom after planting a kiss on Spike's cheek. Spike smiled.

After a while he heard the gushing of the water. Instead of settling back onto the couch and switching on the telly, Spike began to sort the mugs, empty liquor bottles and cans and marshmallow packets. He started with the one Dawn had left and washed them each in turn. He straightened the couch and picked up his dirty clothes. He wanted the place presentable for Dawn.

By the time he was done, the place was near spotless… Well, tidier than before. Spike heard the water run off. He glanced at the clock on the microwave. She'd only been in there fifteen minutes.

Dawn appeared in the doorway dressed only in a towel. It was wrapped tightly around her chest but she seems fine and it was fairly long so Spike said nothing though he was uncomfortable.

She stepped up to Spike and smiled; Spike really wanted to help her; more than ever. "I've really missed you."

Dawn leaned in tenderly. Their lips met. For a moment Spike enjoyed it. He kissed her hard and pressed Dawns back to the wall. And then remembered who he was kissing.

Instantly he sprung away in shock. Dawn looked at him in horror and then hurt blazed across her eyes.

"Dawn," He said, his voice hoarse. "I can't… Not you." She nodded meekly.

"I'm sorry," She said, Spike thought she sounded honest so dropped it.

"I know…It's my fault." That was the last word on the subject. She stepped back into the bathroom and changed into the clothes he'd given her. Spike sat on the sofa with his head thrown back and his arms stretched wide. He ran his hads across his face and through his hair and finally began to relax.

"Thank you. So much. For everything." She said reappearing, shaking a towel through her hair.

"No problem, Niblet." Spike took her hands and sat the girl next to him on the couch. He wrapped her in his arms whispered words of comfort.

He was going to help her. No matter what it took.

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**Hey guys : ) So, just wondering if you think I should continue. If I do, I know where I'm going to take it. Anyway, I hoped you liked! If so please give me some feedback! Please? : ) Thanks a million for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: **It's a New Dawn

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**So I've decided to post this and one more follow up chapter to this fic as I feel nothing was really explained in the first chap, it's just when they met again. So please read and review, but bear with me. THANKS!**

**Disclaimer: Alas…. Since I last updated, Joss has not given me the Buffyverse…. Everything belongs to him…. *Sigh. Again…***

**Grr…. Arrg!**

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Dawn was different. Of course, she was different from other vampires; she was Dawn Summers for Christ's sake! But she was also different from herself. Not in an un-sounded vampire way, not even in an older, more scared, traumatized way. Dawn was simply at her worst.

Spike had seen her at her best too.

Thing was, she wasn't like other vampires. And honestly that scared him a little bit. See, vampires he could deal with; vampires he could handle. But whatever Dawn was, he couldn't let her down. And that's what scared him the most.

"Sleep alright, love?"

Dawn nodded and then smiled softly. "I'm sorry for taking your bed." He rolled over on the couch to face her, holding up his bottle so not to spill the liquor.

"S'alright," The bed wasn't much, anyway. Just a mattress on the ground, but it did. Dawn looked helpless in the doorway. Spike supposed he should get up, make her something to eat or offer her clean clothes. He settled for sitting up and shifting across the couch to make way for the girl. She took the seat next to him.

Spike hit the remote and the late night TV flashed on. The volume was quiet but it didn't bother them; neither one was really watching. Spike glanced at Dawn a few time, she looked nervous.

"Are y'okay, Dawn?" She replied quickly but didn't really answer him.

"Do you have to work today?" She asked shakily, running a hand through her long, messy hair.

Spike scoffed. _Of course he had work today._ Dawn looked down, sadly.

"Do you have to _go_?" She re-emphasised the question; hoping he said no. A small flicker of hope lit up her eyes.

Spike scoffed again. "I've blown it off for smaller things than this before, Bit."

She bit down on her bottom lip. "No." Spike confirmed. "I won't go." The girl smiled.

There was something Spike had been thinking about last night. Something he didn't want to bring up with Dawn, but he had to tell her. After all, she had every right to know. But, then, he couldn't predict how she'd handle it. Spike looked at Dawn; she looked so fragile; she was practically shaking. He opted for no; not yet.

"Do you err... want to get clean clothes today?"

Dawn shook her head. Spike wasn't going to force it. He'd have one of the staff from Wolfram and Hart bring something over; they'd just assume it was for a bird. She couldn't very well stay in his old shirt all day.

"You want me to start something?" She asked and she replied with smile.

The air began to feel awkward; Spike wasn't sure what to say. "So the weather, eh?" He felt like an idiot as soon as he'd said it. Of all the things he could have asked…

"Mnn." Dawn mumbled absent-mindedly.

Spike stood up; he made his way into the kitchen He flicked the switch on the kettle and poured the reaming half of the open sachet of instant coffee into a mug. He turned to Dawn, all the while she'd been watching him.

"Fancy one?" He nodded towards the kettle and adjacent mugs.

"No thanks." She replied. Spike saw how shaken she was. He couldn't bear the thought she'd been out all alone like this.

"Hungry?" He suggested.

"Uh-huh." Spike smiled solemnly and opened the fridge, He took out another mug of blood. The smell felt rich and bitter at the same time at the back of his throat and a burning sensation rose from the pit of his stomach. It must have had the same effect on Dawn.

"No." She said hastily. "I mean… can we eat something."

"Haven't got much in, Pet." He laughed and then began rummaging through tatty cupboards. "Wasn't really expectin' company."

"Oh," Dawn sighed.

"I've got little marshmallows." He offered, pouting cheekily. He pulled a sealed packet filled with tiny pink and white pillows out from the cupboard and tossed it over his shoulder to Dawn. She caught it with both hands. She looked down fondly.

"My mom… used to…" Dawn couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence; it hurt too much.

"I know." Spike stated, sadly. Joyce had always bought them. Spike remembered that she used to make hot chocolate with them it. It was delicious.

It was quiet for a moment as he poured himself the coffee. Despite her earlier protests, he warmed the girl a mug in the microwave. The smell of warm pigs blood filled the apartment. The mug was hot so Spike was careful not to spill. He handed it to her though Dawn shook her head. Spike was the first to break the silence; at some point Dawn had switched off his television.

"I know you don't want to but you're gonna need the strength." Reluctantly, she took it and set the marshmallows on the side. Spike smiled. "Drink up, love." He encouraged.

She didn't drink it straight away this time. Dawn just sat their staring into the crimson abyss. Spike saw that she wasn't just looking into a mug of red liquid; she was seeing into a thousand souls all at once, she was looking into the cave of blackness that surrounded them and the hollow emptiness inside of her. Dawn saw no reflection. And spike could see how much that killed her.

Spike took a long slurp out of his coffee breaking Dawn's concentration. She followed his lead and sipped from the mug but kept her face perfectly human. Spike re-took his seat.

Dawn drank for a while, perfectly silent. Spike couldn't help watching her; she looked so shattered, so broken. He looked at her eyes; her eyes that had once looked so innocent, so full of hope, were now filled with hate and anger and pure destruction. The destruction of her _and _the destruction of everything around her. Because she was a vampire; and she needed that destruction.

"I'm just gonna go to the bathroom. Is that alright," Dawn asked, pulling Spike out of his inner-monologue. He hadn't noticed but she'd already finished her drink.

"You don't have to ask, Little Bit." He replied absent-mindedly.

"Okay," She said softly as she stood and walked towards the bathroom. When the door clicked shut Spike reached over to the small black phone and punched in the number for his office. He put the mug of coffee down. It rang for a while.

"Hello, Wolfram and Hart, Attorneys at Law. How may I direct your call?" A woman asked perkily. Spike was already driven insane by her piercing voice.

"Yeah, err… It's Spike." He said awkwardly. Spike wasn't sure where to take this. "I need clothes."

"I'm sorry?" The woman asked, he voice dropped in confusion.

"For a girl." Spike tried not to snigger at how he knew the woman would hear that. "Bring them to my apartment."

"Oh! Of course." She laughed. "What size is she?"

Spike was taken slightly aback by the question. It was the simplest, plainest of questions and yet he had no idea what to say. Of course, being Spike, he attempted to stay cool. "How should I know? Small…. I guess?" He really did know nothing about her; nothing real.

Spike could have sworn he heard the receptionist giggle. Before he could consider it the phone rang off.

He picked up his coffee and shifted his body back into the couch.

Dawn stepped out of the bathroom, looking down.

"Alright, Dawn?" She nodded and walked back over to the couch. Slowly she slipped next to spike and curved her body around his. Spike felt awkward at first but decided to ignore it. He flipped the TV on. Dawn wrapped her and around his arm and they sat, comfortable like that, for… well, neither of them cared to notice how long.

The shock of the doorbell made them both jump. They looked from one another and laughed slightly. It buzzed again, for longer this time, but Spike made no effort to answer it. When it buzzed for a third time he sighed and undid the lock. He opened it a crack to see who was there.

A petite blonde woman, with a strange resemblance to Harmony stood in the doorway. Spike presumed she was a receptionist or something, being sent out on errands with no connection to the job. But Spike didn't care about this one; it wasn't his place.

So when the woman handed to black rucksack over, containing her change of clothes, he instinctively snatched it. He tore the bag open and inspected what he gave her. It looked fine, there were at least three changes, it seemed. It was only a while later he realised how irascible he must have seemed. Evidently, he didn't care; there was only one thing he cared about now.

"This'll do." He snapped and attempted to slam the door. The woman shoved her foot in the way and flinched when they collided. She had to be a vampire, though Spike wasn't sure what time of day it was. A human would have probably cried or wailed or just acted like a ponce if it was their foot being crushed.

"Mr Spike," she started politely.

"What?" He demanded as she withdrew her foot.

"Angel wanted me to-" He never caught the last part of her sentence as the door was already being slammed. She didn't try to stop him this time; but it wasn't like she could. He shut it so hard that it nearly tore itself from the hinges. He was in no frame of mind to talk about Angel and what that poof wanted!

Dawn let out a small whimper when the door shut, though. He quickly slid across the chain and then dived over the couch to make sure she was okay.

He handed her the bag. She took it and smiled gently in understanding.

"Thank you."

"Don't worry about it, love." He said she turned to the bathroom holding close the rucksack. After a few minutes she returned wearing a pair of black, cotton leggings and a cream t-shirt with lacy straps; they fit perfectly. There was clean underwear in the bag, too, Spike had noticed before, so he'd assumed she'd changed into them. Dawn handed him his neatly folded shirt. She'd brought the rucksack back into the lounge which she hung over the arm of the chair, before she adjusted the zip, she looked through the bag one last time and pulled out a green checked cardigan, slightly larger than the rest, and then had slipped it across her shoulders.

Spike could see she hated to be alone; or maybe it was just apart from him. She sat back on the couch but didn't attempt to attach herself to him.

"Better?" He asked nonchalantly, just for something to say, really.

"Yeah, your shirt was comfy though." He'd already tossed it on the floor.

"You can keep it." It was quiet for a second.

"Don't you ever wonder, Dawn?" Spike couldn't keep himself from asking. He'd been holding it in too long. The question had been burning his mind for hours and he just had to know. The though was tearing him apart! _Why? Why was she like this?_

"What?" She asked as her body suddenly became very stiff.

"Well, you're not like other vampires are you?" A wave of shock washed over the girl. Dawn thought of herself as nothing, not one of them but not one of the good guys either. She'd done things; horrific, unthinkable things and if she wasn't something so low, something so disgusting; _a vampire_, then how could she?

The two of them sat, unmoving on the couch. Dawn tugged at her sleeve.

"You have a conscience. I know you do, Dawn." He whispered.

Dawn looked up. Spike could see the realisation hit her hard. He wasn't sure how she'd react; one hand he could see the understanding that she was not a monster. And the other part of her was realising she was. She'd had free will and she'd chosen to do what she did.

Spike knew this wasn't the case. He knew that something had been done to her; _taken_ from her. He knew that she was something new; something different. She was in there, a part of her, at least. But she was trapped.

Dawn's soul wasn't made for this. Her body, her form had been built around her humanity, like pieces of a puzzle designed to stay together, that could never be broken, had been shattered. A part of her was left and it was burning up inside of her, it was tarnished; _tainted_.

Spike looked into those big brown eyes and he knew he'd worked it out.

Her soul was tainted with the blood of the innocent and that was destroying her.

Spike pulled Dawn into his arms. He knew then and there that he would never let her go. He whispered into her ear. Dawn wept, her tears staining his shirt. He could feel her body lurch with every sob; he only held her tighter. "I love you, Dawn Summers."

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**Oooh! Revelations! Betcha weren't expecting that! Or maybe you were… I don't know. Weather you were expecting it or not, please review. As always; thanks for reading! Last chap soon!**


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